Per Aspera Ad Astra
by daflippnay
Summary: Several years into the future, Orochimaru puts a hold on Sasuke's training to rebuild Sound. He also vaguely takes it upon himself to request help from Konoha, but with the arrival of a spunky Sakura, well, you never know what might ensue. SasuSaku. WIP.
1. Chapter 1

_**Per Aspera Ad Astra**_

A/N: The fic takes place after the occurrences in the manga, with a few alternative changes. It is also unbetaed, so feel free to point out any flaw that you come across, outstanding or no.

* * *

It had been a long time since she had seen much of anyone, and to say that Uchiha Sasuke was the last person she'd ever think of running into was a complete understatement. 

Sakura was now twenty-five and the head of Konoha's medical department, playing a large role in terms of alliances above practically all else. At such a tender age, she was nearly untouchable.

Emphasis on nearly.

Much had changed over the years. Sound had gotten past all the legal mumbo-jumbo in order to be recognized as an actual village, but that didn't mean that it was all flowers and sunshine in regards to relations with Konoha. Seeing as how Sound was still in its infant stages, there were many legal proceedings that they had yet to tackle.

An up-to-date medical department was among one of them.

Kabuto had guardedly set up a meeting with Haruno Sakura, seeing as how she had been a considerable benefactor in that particular area. She was not only prominent within Konoha, but also within its neighboring villages. He figured that he might as well try his luck – at least for Sound's sake.

And that was where the pink-haired kunoichi found herself: standing in the middle of Sound's newly erected town hall, eyes locked undeniably with the dark stare of one Uchiha Sasuke. Too many things passed between them within those mere seconds – at least, according to her.

Sasuke approached her, blatantly looking her over. "You're late," he said tersely.

Sakura fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Hello to you too, Sasuke. The guards gave me some trouble."

The Uchiha nodded in understanding. He gestured for her to follow him with a tilt of his head before he began his stride. Sakura fell into step, walking in tandem only when they were required to pass through a narrow doorway.

Sakura looked at him askance, sighing internally at his characteristic muteness. It seemed as though some things never changed. "So how are relations going?" she asked; she never was fond of awkward silences.

"As well as anyone can imagine," he replied gruffly.

She chuckled. "I can't for the life of me imagine the Uchiha heir doing much paperwork."

He scowled. "I try to avoid it as much as possible."

They stopped at the last door down the hall. He knocked briskly, opening the door with a quick jerk of the doorknob at Kabuto's "Come in!" before making an abrupt exit.

Kabuto leaned back into his chair. "Ah, Sakura-san. I see you've run into Sasuke-kun."

She smiled kindly. "Yes, and it seems he has yet to pull that stick out of his ass."

The bespectacled man chuckled jovially. "Well, that's Sasuke for you." He adjusted his glasses. "I appreciate you coming here. Please, take a seat."

Sakura nodded, doing so. "I was wondering when Sound would request my assistance." With a grim smile, she added, "Not to sound too arrogant."

He dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "In the position you are in now, it wouldn't surprise me too much." He busied his hands, stacking a pile of documents in front of him. "Would you care for some tea?"

She shrugged. "As long as it isn't poisoned," she joked.

"Oh, trust me. That wouldn't sit too well with relations," he laughed. He poured a cup for each of them.

She gently blew on the contents of her cup, eyebrows slightly drawn. "I hope it isn't just me thinking about how ironic this is, if not a little bizarre."

Kabuto cleared his throat, managing an awkward grin. "Believe me, my mind has had some trouble connecting things together." He leaned forward, steepled his fingertips. "I devised a checklist of what Sound ought to have by now, but doesn't," he said sourly. He pushed the stack of documents towards her. "Feel free to object, assent, and the like."

Sakura nodded as she looked them over, touching a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "These are very basic and valid, which at this point is most important. I would like to observe the clinics and the hospitals that are already up and running though, so I can get a feel for what Sound can do with."

"Very thorough, and just what I had in mind." He stood, his knees cracking as he did so. Kabuto grimaced. "We can start now, if you'd like. I've been cooped up in this office all day."

The kunoichi stood, drumming her fingers on the back of her chair. "Sounds like a plan. Although, I haven't eaten much since I arrived. Do you mind…?"

He waved his hand again. "Oh, not at all. I do apologize, though. Sound is under heavy construction and isn't so pleasing to the eye just yet."

"It doesn't bother me in the least," she assured. What did, though, is that she didn't know entirely what she had gotten into. While Tsunade-sama did in fact allow her to answer Sound's appeal, it was with considerable caution did she allow her to leave at all. It wasn't too much of an encouragement when the guards at the gate weren't as welcoming as she thought they'd be. There had been some unease in their demeanor after they had set their sights on the Hidden Leaf hita-ite fastened to her forearm.

They made their way through the stuffy building and out into the streets. Sakura inhaled deeply, alerting her senses to the distinct smell of spring and the aroma of roasting meat wafting from nearby food vendors. She was surprised to see children romping about, being chastened by their parents for not keeping within view, snacking on dango and rice cakes. It gave her some assurance. Perhaps Sound wouldn't be a bad village after all.

Sakura's observations were disrupted by Kabuto's airy chuckle. She blinked, looking at him. "What?"

He smiled. "You thought Sound would be full of missing-nin and criminals, didn't you?"

She scowled at herself for being so transparent. "It was a passing thought."

"To be entirely truthful, I wasn't too sure if Sound would be able to pass as an adequate village." Kabuto admitted. He led her to a booth specializing in cold soba noodles. "You should try their yamakake soba. It's quite good."

Sakura and Kabuto took their seats, taking their orders before resuming conversation. "Why would you think that?" she asked, intrigued. "About Sound, I mean."

"This village wasn't much to begin with, and lower classes practically didn't exist. We were making something out of nothing, so to speak." The bespectacled man fiddled with a pair of chopsticks. "In the beginning, Sound was a place of refuge. We built a couple of shelters and hostels, and it all started from there. Whenever we were low on money or supplies, Orochimaru's disciples – who've become the chuunin and jounin – just earned them through completing missions. It wasn't long before those nameless faces became our civilians."

"You wouldn't believe everyone's surprise when we found that instead of Orochimaru claiming Sasuke's body, he'd made him a part of his inner circle." Sakura mused. She sighed. "And I thought that Naruto would've been disappointed with all the overzealous training he had to undergo. But it did prepare him quite a bit for everything that happened in place of it."

Kabuto smiled. "And how is our number one hyperactive ninja?"

She rolled her eyes. "As hyperactive as usual, it seems. He's grown a lot since you've last seen him, though."

"And so have you," the Sound medic-nin appraised, smiling kindly.

"Oh – Well…" Sakura flushed. "Intrinsic talent, and all that," she joked.

Their food was served to them shortly, and the two medic-nins ate in a companionable silence.

Everything around her seemed so surreal nowadays, Sakura thought. While the years of her childhood seemed to have gone by in a blur, her teenage years had gone painstakingly slow. With all the dilemmas that had surrounded her – her teammates leaving her behind for strenuous training that she couldn't endure or even keep up with, Akatsuki's scavenger hunt for the jinchuuriki, Sasuke's abrupt reappearance and then disappearance – well, it seemed as though everything had been moving at lightning speed while she moved as if in tar.

"Kabuto-san," a familiar voice deadpanned behind them.

The medic-nin swiveled around, grinning at Sasuke. "Ah, Sasuke-kun! What can I help you with?"

"Orochimaru-sama requests your presence," the Uchiha replied.

"I see. Is it urgent? I already notified him of our guest." Kabuto said, nodding toward Sakura.

Sasuke scowled. "Stop stalling, Kabuto-san. Orochimaru-sama has told me to take over your meeting. I already went over the checklist in your office."

Kabuto gave Sakura a sheepish smile as he stood, quickly paying for both their meals. "I do apologize."

The kunoichi nodded in understanding. "All in a day's work," she replied cheerfully. She watched the medic-nin leave, her heart fluttering even as she resented the Uchiha's presence somewhat. She smiled amicably though when he spared her a glance. "Practicing your suffixes, I see," she teased.

"Are you done?" he asked, not bothering to mask the annoyance in his tone.

"Yes, yes," she sighed, dismounting her stool. Sakura gave him a sly grin. "Tell me something, though."

Sasuke gave her his trademark bored expression that implied that he was listening.

"Is this you avoiding paperwork?" she sniggered.

He shrugged, his face a mask of indifference. "Kabuto will find out eventually."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I can't promise that I will be able to update as quickly as I am now considering I have finals within the next two weeks, but I can promise to try. (:

* * *

Sakura watched him in her peripheral vision, her heels clicking soundly on the stark white tiles of Sound's hospital floors. She noted that Sasuke's footfalls were effortlessly noiseless as he walked beside her, hands shoved into the pockets of his tunic. "You know, it would've been much more convenient if Kabuto were here," she told him pointedly. 

"Kabuto and I are colleagues. There isn't any information that he receives that isn't passed on to me."

She stopped walking to properly glare at him. "But surely it isn't you who frequents Sound's hospitals—"

Sasuke abruptly cornered the kunoichi until she was flush against the wall behind her. He slammed a closed fist into the plaster, mere inches away from her head. "Surely you aren't telling me that I don't know what's good for my own village."

Sakura flinched, but was quick to recover. "Do they give out evaluation forms here? Because I wouldn't think twice about giving you a negative number in rapport and protocol."

He swiftly backed away from her. "Sakura," he barked out in a laugh, "this… this is exactly why I couldn't allow Konoha to limit me. Rapport? Protocol? _Surely_ these aren't the only things you're concerned about."

"You are representing a village in its infant stages, Sasuke. At least pretend to be courteous to the hand that helps you," the medic-nin hissed between clenched teeth.

He only shook his head, his lips tugging into a cold smile. "Trust me, Sakura. I really have no reason to impress you." Sasuke leaned forward in a mock bow, raising his eyebrows derisively. "The disease ward is the second to the last door on your left. Report everything you can to Kabuto, productive or no," he told her, an air of nonchalance about him.

And with that, Sakura watched him leave. She pressed her back against the wall, slowly counting to ten before making her way toward the disease ward. She entered through the two swinging doors, frowning as she came upon a dark laboratory. Four long tables were situated in the center of the room and stretched all the way across, glossy black tabletops completely barren. The pink-haired kunoichi remained alert as she covered the perimeter, her right hand skimming the wall for a light switch.

Across the room, directly in front of where she had entered, was a lone glass door. Sakura touched the handle with caution, glancing behind her before giving it an experimental tug. It was only until it was fully open did she notice a dim, pale blue light spilling across the floor, presumably being emitted from another closed door. She walked further down the hall to find that the light was coming from an office, and from the shadows that threw themselves across the floor and against the walls, she gathered that it certainly wasn't vacant.

Sakura held her breath, her left hand poised at her weapons pouch while the other gingerly knocked on the glass. The door opened to reveal a bespectacled, dark haired woman in a lab coat who peered at her warily.

"Are you lost, ma'am?" she inquired, taking off her glasses. She squinted at her as she wiped the lenses against the fabric of her coat.

"No, I was scheduled to meet with someone today from the disease ward? I'm Haruno Sakura, the director of Hidden Leaf's medical department," the kunoichi greeted her quietly.

The woman's eyes widened. "Oh, forgive me!" She bowed deeply. "I am Sato Aya, the director of Sound's medicinal department – or, the notion of it, anyway…" she trailed off.

Sakura frowned. "Notion?"

Aya laughed nervously, sliding her glasses back on. "I really am just a stand-in director, you see. I've been Kabuto's apprentice for a number of years now, and he entrusted me the title because he knows that I am well-read." She glanced at Sakura. "I really expected you to be much older, but you're probably as old as I am…"

Sakura ran a hand through her hair, flustered. "Why are you the only one here? Where are the medic-nin and the doctors and the nurses?"

Aya glanced outside the glass door before stepping closer to the other woman, lowering her head. "Sakura-san, can I confide in you?" she asked softly.

"Er, yes, but—"

"Kabuto has not set foot inside this hospital – any hospital or clinic, in fact! – since the day Sound had been legally recognized as a village. I really am glad that they decided to send you here alone, because I'm afraid we wouldn't have much to discuss if Kabuto or Sasuke-sama were here." Aya whispered urgently.

Sakura pursed her lips, her eyes wide in shock. "Aya-san, this is a very pressing matter. Do the medic-nin at least know the basic procedures? Does Sound even _have_ medic-nin? Where is everyone?"

"They're working. It's been very difficult since Kabuto disappeared from the scene, but we've managed to devote half their day here to their training while they clock in during the second half and go to work. Everyone works two shifts at some point, seeing as we have to stay on the ball." Aya sighed. "The second class should be arriving within forty-five minutes. Sakura-san, I really am sorry to lay this burden on you. I will be there to help, but I am often in and out of the room since I also supervise those who are working."

Sakura took a breath, exhaled it slowly. "Firstly, can you tell me why Kabuto hasn't been here? And secondly, how far behind are your classes?"

Aya shook her head. "Kabuto has been quite busy, although with what, he has not been at liberty to say. I have told him time and again what a pressing matter this is, but apparently his work with Orochimaru-sama is much more important than his work here. And… I'm afraid that I don't know how far behind the medic-nin are. If it is doable, Sakura-san, could you possibly extend your stay here?"

The pink-haired kunoichi worried her bottom lip. Between Tsunade-sama and Sasuke, her chances were at odds. Who knew how long it would actually take for the medic-nin to get into the swing of things, and just how long would Tsunade-sama permit her to stay? And depending on Sasuke's mood swings, she didn't know how long she would be on the receiving end of his impertinence, or how far he intended on pushing it. "I will address the Hokage about this matter immediately after our session today, and I will let you know as soon as possible."

Aya nodded, her eyes downcast. "I know that it is a lot to ask from one person, but if you could help… Orochimaru-sama – Sound – will owe you tremendously."

Sakura nodded, mostly to herself. She gritted her teeth. If Tsunade-sama denied the extended appeal, it would certainly be a heavy weight on Konoha's competence in regards to foreign relations and another addition to Sound's ineptitudes. It was a double benefactor, but in its shadow was a double-edged sword. There was absolutely no reason to back down, aside from the existing and now irrelevant doubts that Konoha and Sound had about one another. And aside from Konoha and Sound, the other villages were for the most part quite stable and at peace; there was no reason to expect any sort of hostility. And everyone who knew a thing or two about politics knew that as long as Sound needed support, they would have to remain as courteous and tightlipped as possible toward the villages that were willing to aid them.

It was not difficult to deduce that whoever had thought up this plan had weighed their options well, and thoroughly at that.

Sakura glanced back at Aya. "May I see any scrolls that anyone may have written in the past, or recently? This hospital exists, and that means that someone from Sound must've started off somewhere."

Aya nodded eagerly, exiting the office and walking back towards the darkened laboratory with Sakura in tow. She flipped on the lights and made her way towards one of the long tables, kneeling in order to open one of the cabinets. "These cabinets are filled with scrolls. I haven't had time to properly group them, but this particular cabinet is full of basic to intermediate procedures that the medic-nin have already learned or are in the process of learning. Feel free to read them, if you'd like."

Sakura was halfway through the scrolls when the swinging doors flew open, weary students flooding the laboratory. They took their seats, each of them mindfully taking notice of the flustered, pink-haired kunoichi situated on the floor.

--

Sakura sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. It had been a long time since she had had to expend so much energy that the weariness she felt was almost foreign to her.

It was already late in the evening by the time she had completed her session with the students. She had learned that they weren't as behind as she thought, but a lot of them required more attention and practice, especially. Sakura had taught them about four procedures within the span of seven hours, which wasn't too bad in and of itself. A select few refrained from participating in the lesson, instead documenting Sakura's instructions into scrolls so that they might be able to teach them to the others later on.

The exhausted kunoichi heaved another sigh as her stomach grumbled. The street vendors had packed up and left hours ago, and chances were she probably wouldn't be able to get a bite to eat until morning. A couple hours of rest would properly restore most of what she'd expended today, so the sooner she got to the hostel the better.

Except she suspected that that wouldn't be anytime soon, seeing as she had come to sense someone's chakra within her vicinity, and said chakra's levels were too high to be left unheeded. The medic-nin took in her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the dark, a kunai held at the ready.

"Who's there?" she demanded quietly.

A soft, high pitched laugh echoed through the empty streets. Sakura narrowed her eyes as a spot of red seemed to fade in and out of the shadows. And then suddenly she was face to face with a youthful redheaded woman. As Sakura took a cautious step back, the woman gave her a haughty smirk.

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded.

The redhead sized her up with a condescending gaze. "I think you should go home, little girl."

Sakura cocked her head. "Oh? And who are you to come to such a decision?"

The other woman gritted her teeth, taking a step closer. "The last thing Sound should be doing is taking advice from a weak village like Konoha." She glared at her. "I'd kill you in a second if you weren't so important to Orochimaru-sama."

Sakura's head hurt, to say the very least. "The last thing you should be doing is decrying another village when yours isn't doing too well to begin with. And exactly how big of a role am I playing in Orochimaru's plans here?"

"Nanako."

Both girls turned around to see an agitated Sasuke walking towards them.

The redhead straightened her posture. "Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke could've bore holes into Sakura with the intensity of his stare. "What do you think you're doing? Do you think your higher rank automatically gives you the right to belittle someone?"

Nanako looked pleased. Beside her, Sakura snorted.

"Really, Sasuke. You should practice what you preach," the medic-nin remarked.

Sasuke redirected his glare at Nanako. "And you know better. Why are you wasting your time on someone like her? Go home."

Nanako bowed deeply. "Please forgive my foolishness, Sasuke-sama," she murmured before she backed away, fading into the shadows.

"You really aren't in the position to do much of anything right now." Sakura warned him.

Sasuke smirked. "That's funny, because I could've told you the same thing."

His former teammate froze as the air got significantly heavier, causing her knees to buckle. From where she stood, she could see that Sasuke wasn't affected at all. In fact, his eyes were glowing a distinct red, and she could see the black pinwheels in his irises shifting as he fixed his gaze on her.

Sakura gasped as she was physically pulled to the ground, smacking her head against the pavement. She hissed in pain, her eyes snapping shut.

And when she opened them, all she could see was crimson red._ Shit. Shit. Shit!_

* * *

A/N: 12/07/06

I didn't realize Tayuya was dead, so I replaced her with an OC. It's a slight change, and doesn't really affect the chapter._  
_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Keep in mind that the end of chapter two was slightly changed (a name, to be precise) and a segment of this chapter will not be completely understood if you overlook it. Also keep in mind that this may be the last update until the end of this or next week because of finals. But hey, you never know – I might be able to fit one in if I get distracted enough. Enjoy reading, and reviewing is always appreciated!

* * *

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't expect Sakura's arrival to be so taxing. But seeing as how the memories of his old life in Konoha had been easily repressed when he didn't have any visual – and physical – reminders, he should've known better. 

She'd certainly developed an immunity against him, that was for sure. Sakura was no longer the swooning fan girl he once knew, often meeting his usual snide remarks with equally sardonic responses. It had knocked him slightly off-kilter at first, but he would never admit to that. He didn't quite know how to deal with this new and improved Haruno Sakura. He often resorted to being an asshole, but even that defense mechanism didn't work; she clashed and counteracted, and that only tested his patience.

The Uchiha's patience was slowly but surely dwindling. He'd never known Orochimaru to do things half-assed, and had never expected him to. So when he was brought in and informed that his training would be put on hold – and notions of the body transfer, to some of his relief – some years ago in order to reconstruct Sound, it had been a nasty surprise. And he'd made sure to verbalize it too, and that was probably how he managed to get into Orochimaru's inner circle. It didn't do much to alleviate him, but initially, receiving the title had been something to revel in a little.

Not until he was informed that he had to literally act the title, though. And that meant paperwork and holding conferences and practicing propriety towards council members that he honestly didn't give two shits about. Sasuke was growing impatient and restless, and Sakura's presence just became a convenient excuse to displace all of his frustrations onto her.

Orochimaru had become so involved in rebuilding Sound that he'd practically dropped everything else, leaving Kabuto to do his dirty work. And what the medic didn't have time to do, well, that was where Sasuke unfortunately came in. Sasuke still managed to remind Orochimaru every now and then of his training, but the former sannin was now wont to dismissing him with an effortless wave of his hand, which was usually accompanied by some bullshit excuse.

The medic-nin's duties became so time consuming that his medical department became exanimate and nearly stagnant. He'd left one of his top apprentices in charge, but even though she kept it running, she didn't have much to contribute. It was then that Orochimaru whimsically decided to send out an appeal to Konoha. Although it reeked of suspicion and was quite vague, he could only hope that it would instigate an action that wouldn't fail to be recognized among the other villages: an effort to rebuild shaky relations between Konoha and Sound.

With Orochimaru being so busy and Sasuke having to juggle duties with Kabuto, the younger Uchiha's retribution over Itachi was pushed to the wayside, and was proceeded to be treated as a trivial chore. Seeing as how it had been among the first on his list of priorities, this clearly did not sit too well with Sasuke.

Sasuke decided that Sakura being there could very well speed up Sound's progress so that he could finally resume his training, but she seemed to be more of a nuisance than anything else. Her presence warranted Sasuke to mull over certain things that he had blissfully been unable to recall since he had taken up residence in Sound. Before Sakura had made her grand reentry into his life, it had all been a matter of out of sight, out of mind.

He sighed wearily, eyeing the petite, motionless body that still managed to take up his entire bed. The Konoha medic was sprawled out and engulfed in his covers, and the only sure sign that she occupied his bed was the faded pink hair that peeked out from the top of the comforter. Sasuke was entirely too sure that when Sakura awoke, she wouldn't take to him too kindly.

It was nearly eight in the morning when the aforementioned motionless body began to stir. The Uchiha couldn't for the life of him fully convince himself that he was prepared – be it mentally or physically – for when Sakura would awaken. With that in mind, he strolled into the kitchen to grab the bowl of fruit sitting on top of the table. The fruit was merely for comfort, though.

And the steel bowl was for self-defense.

* * *

When Sakura opened her eyes, the first thing she set her sights on was the expanse of stark white ceiling. Patches of sunlight and shadow flickered and danced upon it, the silhouettes of tree branches swaying in a gentle breeze. She stretched and sighed softly, feeling warm and well rested. 

Until she realized that she hadn't stepped foot into a hostel. At all.

Events of the day before all rushed back to her, followed by what had followed come evening. Livid, she forced herself to sit up, only to meet the steady, unflinching gaze of Uchiha Sasuke. Sakura was so overwrought with indignation that she couldn't bring herself to say much of anything in that moment. She continued to meet his blank stare, balling her fists into the fabric of his sheets.

He lifted his hand from his lap, producing something small and red. "Apple?" he deadpanned.

Sakura lashed out and smacked it out of his hand. "Sasuke," she enunciated, loud and clear, "you are the most tactless prick I've ever met!"

He blinked indolently at her in what seemed to be incredulity, which was his first mistake. The moment he opened his eyes, she lunged at him, toppling he and his chair over and effectively pinning him face first into the carpet. She straddled his back, gathering chakra from her legs to the ground when he attempted to buck her off. Sasuke swung his left arm backwards, grimacing when the back of his hand collided with the side of her face. Disoriented, the medic stumbled a little. Sasuke flipped onto his back and took her wrists into his hands, making an effort to push her off.

His second mistake was underestimating her. She pushed her wrists against his grasp, for a moment keeping him down with a strength he never knew she possessed. Sakura gasped as he kneed her in the gut, causing her to fall against him, her forehead knocking into his. They wrenched away from one another, groaning and holding their heads.

Sakura was the first to recover and was on him again in mere seconds. He gritted his teeth, wrapping an arm around her slender waist to drag her onto the floor. The Uchiha tangled his legs with hers and yet again gathered her wrists into both of his hands, and was certain that if that didn't immobilize her, he didn't know what would.

"What's your trauma?" she panted, struggling against him. She pinched his ankles with her toenails. Sakura rolled over only to have him come along for the ride. "It's got to be some form of – OW! – developmental problem! Or…"

He flipped her onto her back. "Sakura…"

She smirked at him. "Bipolar? Borderline? Anti– what are you–"

Sasuke swiftly leaned forward and bit down on her arm.

Sakura yelped in surprise more than anything else. She thrashed against him, hooking her arm under the back of his thigh while the other hand pushed firmly against his chest. They tumbled until the kunoichi got him onto his back again, elbowing him in the ribs.

Sasuke grasped her by her forearms and pushed her away before rolling onto his back. His lungs burned for air and he was certain that a couple of his ribs were bruised, and that Sakura had just broken the skin on his ankles with her _toenails_.

The pink-haired kunoichi sighed, twisting onto her stomach and running a hand through her hair. She located the bowl of fruit at the foot of the bed, taking one of the apples and biting into it. "I'll need to return to the hospital. I'm going to use your shower," she mentioned casually before taking another bite.

When she rose to her feet to find the bathroom, Sasuke found that he was much too drained to even _act_ indifferent. He remained on the floor, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief while listening to the shower turn on.

His pride a little damaged and his body a little sore, he got off of the floor and forced the bathroom door open. Sakura squealed, and he watched her futile attempt to cover up behind the frosted glass door. Sasuke made sure to stand there for as long as possible, finding some satisfaction in her discomfort.

When he was certain that he'd had enough fun with her for the morning, he backed away and closed the door – but not before flushing the toilet.

The Uchiha smirked as she screamed.

* * *

Sakura stepped out of the bathroom, warily eyeing the lopsided door as it dangled precariously from its hinges. She peered into the Sound-nin's bedroom to find him sitting at the edge of the bed, donning a towel that hung loosely around his hips and not much else. 

She tensed as their eyes met.

"I'd steer clear of Nanako if I were you."

She gave him a sidelong glance. "You think I can't fend for myself," she deadpanned. It wasn't a question.

He averted his gaze. "Her father was killed during Sound's invasion of Konoha." Sasuke stood, readjusting his towel. "The last thing you should do here is let your guard down. Even if Orochimaru considers you a useful tool, there are many villagers who may think otherwise," he said quietly. "Even I get the hook for originally being from Konoha, on occasion." He shrugged.

Sakura nodded mutely, getting out of his way as he headed towards the bathroom. "Sasuke," she murmured.

He stopped mid-stride, but he didn't turn to face her.

She gazed at the back of his head. "She doesn't pose a threat to me. But keep in mind that you do." Sakura gritted her teeth. "As a medic, you may think me docile; but also keep in mind that in most cases, I had to first learn how to destroy someone before I could even begin to heal them."

Sasuke watched her saunter into his kitchen, snorting when she was just out of sight. _Docile, my ass._


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Ok, I lied. I updated. :x Reviews are always welcome!

* * *

Taking a small blank scroll from her weapons pouch and a fountain pen she'd found on Sasuke's desk, Sakura seated herself in the Sound-nin's cramped kitchenette, resting her elbows on the counter. She hummed under her breath, tapping the pen against her lips. 

Sasuke walked in, brushing past her to place the fruit bowl on the counter.

"Sasuke," she murmured, sitting up. Her eyes searched his. "I was completely unaware of your medical department's shortcomings. In fact, I wasn't told much about it all. Can you tell me why that is?"

He pursed his lips. "I am not at liberty to say."

Sakura gave him a withering look. "Do you really think that that's a good enough reason for Tsunade-sama to extend the appeal?"

He fixed his eyes on the fruit bowl, scowling. "No one is making you stay, Sakura."

The medic sighed, exasperated. "May I remind you that Konoha didn't volunteer for this? It was Sound who took first action. You do know that the Hokage _will_ immediately pull me out if I put something as vague as 'I am not at liberty to say,' right?"

"You're asking the wrong person," he replied with a shrug. "Ask Kabuto." And with that, he headed for the door and left.

Sakura wrinkled her nose, staring at the door in disbelief. Sighing, she scribbled down a couple of things, also adding that she could use some extra clothes – Naruto had a copy of her apartment key – before retrieving a jutsu scroll from her pouch and performing the necessary hand seals.

A young messenger hawk perched on her wrist, stretching its magnificent wings. She slid the small scroll into a slim metal case on the bird's leg before opening the window, gently placing her hand over its head to allow it to hunch forward as she eased it past the wooden frame.

Sakura watched as it took flight, beating its wings swiftly as it gained elevation. It soared into the sky, heading eastward towards Konoha.

She then walked into Sasuke's room, placing the fountain pen back where she'd found it. The kunoichi placed her hands on her hips, her eyes scanning the room for her things. She found her sandals at the foot of the bed, but the knapsack she'd brought had gone missing. The only thing in there that held any worth was her hita-ite. She hoped that she'd left it in the hospital.

She quickly slid into her sandals and left the apartment building, the sun warming her shoulders as she stepped outside. Sakura scowled when she found that she was in an area of Sound that was unknown to her. She walked a couple of paces and found a street vendor; she politely asked him to direct her to the town hall, and afterwards bought dango from him in thanks.

When she arrived, she found Kabuto just walking in, a thick manila folder in his arms. She sighed in relief before catching up to him. "Kabuto-san," she greeted as she polished off the last of her dango.

"Ah, Sakura-san! Good morning," he replied, smiling pleasantly. "Aya told me to tell you that she appreciates everything you're doing here. She knows that it's quite a handful."

"About that…" Sakura murmured, tossing the skewer into a garbage pail they passed on the way to his office. "There's something that I'd like to discuss with you."

He had his pleasant smile on again. Sakura found him very hard to read. "I anticipated this," he admitted with a chuckle.

The Konoha medic narrowed her eyes. "Did you?"

They entered Kabuto's office, the pink-haired kunoichi taking a seat before he could offer it to her. When he took his position behind the desk, he placed the folder down gingerly, clearing his throat.

"I know that we are rather… behind."

Sakura snorted. "Behind," she uttered, staring at him. "Kabuto-san, why wasn't I aware of Sound's shortcomings from the beginning? And if Orochimaru-sama needed me so much, why isn't he the one meeting with me?"

Kabuto folded his hands on the desk patiently. Sakura wanted to hit him. "I'm afraid Orochimaru-sama has his own handful to tend to, but I will make things as clear as I can for you." He opened the folder in front of him, moving it towards Sakura. "As you can tell, Sound is literally and figuratively in bits and pieces."

Sakura leafed through the documents, gazing at the blueprints of buildings that were still undergoing heavy instruction.

"We are treading on unstable ground just by requesting Konoha's assistance, financially among other things. But it was a risk that we had to take, Sakura-san. And Orochimaru-sama – as well as I, as well as Sasuke-kun – understood that if anyone knew the gravity of Sound's current circumstances, we could be very well setting ourselves up."

"Setting yourselves up? The times are relatively peaceful. As peaceful as they've ever been, in fact." Sakura rebutted cautiously.

He shook his head. "Peace isn't long-lasting, I'm afraid. Sound has many enemies. Although we are attempting to redeem ourselves through this, everyone has had their own guarded opinions about it. It can't be helped. We're at the bottom of the barrel, Sakura-san, but we're going to do everything we can to work our way up."

Sakura drummed her fingers against the armrest impatiently. "Is Orochimaru-sama's handful so time consuming that it leaves no room for much else?" She looked at him askance. "I asked Sasuke about it, and he told me that he wasn't at liberty to say. But are you more qualified to answer me, Kabuto-san?"

"Orochimaru-sama is taking the necessary precautions that will take Sound where it ought to be," Kabuto answered carefully, "and because he is preoccupied with those duties, I am merely taking care of his neglected obligations. That has left me no room for the medical department, and although it troubles me, I cannot argue with Orochimaru-sama at a time like this. I've left Sasuke to watch over it, but he has not done much, and I doubt that he could, really."

Sakura sighed softly. _That seemed more like a drawn out 'I am not at liberty to say' than anything else._

"Sakura-san, we aren't making you stay. But your presence here is a huge benefactor in more ways than one. I'm sure you understand that."

She gave an imperceptible nod. The only thing that she understood was that she wasn't going to get much more out of him. That is, unless she delved a little.

And she knew exactly who to approach.

* * *

"Good morning, Aya-san." 

Sakura chuckled as the preoccupied woman jumped a little before she smiled at her.

"Ah, good morning, Sakura-san! I really do appreciate you coming to both shifts." Aya murmured, a bit guilt-stricken.

The pink-haired medic nodded absently. She watched rather detachedly as the swinging doors opened, until her mind alerted her to a familiar shade of red. As soon as Nanako came into view, recognition set in and they didn't hesitate to give one another spiteful glares.

"Good morning, Aya-kun," Nanako said quietly.

Aya's head turned in the direction of Nanako's voice. "Good morning, Nana-kun. We have a guest here today," she greeted her, nodding towards Sakura. "Haruno Sakura, the head of Konoha's medical department," she said introductorily.

Nanako stared at Sakura blankly. "I see."

"You're a medic-nin?" Sakura asked, unable to conceal her surprise. And disbelief.

"Yes," the redhead replied. "I was motivated to become one when my father passed away."

Sakura could detect the vagueness in her tone, but she unfortunately knew it all too well. She tore her eyes away from her before settling her gaze on Aya, who was reading over a lesson they were to go over. "Aya-san, may I speak to you after the session?" she inquired.

The brunette nodded. "Certainly. In fact, we have some time now if you'd like to discuss it in my office."

"Can we?" Sakura worried her lower lip.

Aya quickly rolled up the scroll before giving Nanako a polite "Excuse us," leading the Konoha medic into the back hallway and into her barren office.

"I spoke to Kabuto-san this morning," Sakura told her, getting right to the point. She watched the other woman as she closed the door. "Although… he and Sasuke have been very vague. Is there anything that you might know that I should?"

Aya pursed her lips, the space between her eyebrows pinching into a pensive frown. "To my knowledge, Orochimaru-sama is meeting with different council members to clear up any and all remaining hostilities that might have existed in the first place. Kabuto has not told me of his method of approach, though. The villagers don't even see much of him. He's away most of the time, and when he returns, there's always a workload waiting for him. Honestly, I'm surprised that he hasn't burnt out yet."

"I sent out a message to the Hokage, and I mentioned Sound's request to extend the appeal. I really don't know how this will go, especially since I haven't had much information to send her. Everything that's been said to me have all been rather vague, and I don't think Tsunade-sama will stand for that. She'll probably think something is wrong, and the last thing anyone should do is cause a scene when Sound isn't in any condition to respond to it properly." Sakura locked eyes with her. "Aya-san… I honestly do want to help, but I'm not being given enough room to do so. If Sound truly needs my assistance, don't you think these limitations should be eradicated, or at least slightly dulled?"

Aya sighed. "If it were in my power, I'd give you the information you needed in a heartbeat. But I fear for anyone who knows too much. You could be captured and interrogated, among other things; and as you said, Sound isn't in any condition to properly respond to something like that without having it all blown out of proportion. And if anything like that happened, you'd be far off from your intended mission here and you really don't want to be caught up in this."

"I already am, in a way," Sakura laughed dryly. She sighed softly, but she was more relieved than anything else. "I'll… make do with what I have. But thank you, Aya-san."

Aya smiled warmly. "It is you that we should thank, Sakura."

The pink-haired woman returned her smile, clasping her hands together enthusiastically. "Alright! Should we begin?"

Aya nodded, feeling more hope than she's had in a long while. "Lead the way."

* * *

Sakura allowed herself to drag her feet a little. The sessions were becoming a little bit easier to manage, but they were still relentlessly tiring. She was pleased that it ended a few hours before sundown, though. It always seemed to bother her if she couldn't manage to fit enough sunlight into her day. 

She ate a late lunch at a yakiniku stand, and then afterwards decided to stroll around the village. The sky was already pink with the setting sun, and she found herself at loss at what she could do in the meantime.

It was only until the air cooled down significantly did she retrace her steps to possibly find a hostel. She didn't get very far though, as Sasuke had appeared from God knows where with a knapsack over his shoulder.

"I'm leaving for a mission," he said by way of greeting.

Sakura stared at him blankly.

He shoved a set of keys into her hand. "You can stay in my apartment for the night." He shoved the knapsack against her chest. "That's yours."

She caught it, unlatching the flap and reaching in, sighing in relief when her hand touched the cold metal of her hita-ite. "Sasuke," she called out as he began to turn away. "I am by no means getting comfortable here. Don't get used to it."

The Uchiha gave her his own blank stare. "You can trust me on that," was his only reply.

The kunoichi tore her gaze from his retreating back, shouldering the knapsack and pocketing his keys. She only made it a couple of paces before she was met with another encounter. A masked nin dropped in front of her from a nearby tree. Anbu.

Sakura leapt backwards, on the defense. "Identify yourself," she hissed, her hand reaching for the weapons pouch on her thigh.

The nin didn't make any attempt to approach her any further. "Haruno," he greeted, his voice muffled by the porcelain mask.

The kunoichi tilted her head. "Hyuuga-san?"

Neji nodded. "Tsunade-sama wasn't too keen on the message you sent. She figured that you might be in danger. I have an Anbu team at my beck and call, if need be."

"I knew she'd do that!" she muttered under her breath. "Tell her she has nothing to be alarmed about at the moment. Orochimaru is out of town and I haven't been able to get any straight answers. Tell her that I'll write her another message – a detailed one – and she should just wait for it. At this point, it isn't a very good idea to jeopardize Sound or Konoha, so you should probably leave the area. What Tsunade-sama will want you to know, she'll tell you."

He nodded. "I am by Tsunade-sama's instructions not permitted to leave until sunrise. We will be on the eastern border, near the outskirts of Sound if you need any assistance."

She sighed. "So be it."

He paused briefly before unloading a black messenger bag. "This is from Naruto. He apologizes if any of the colors don't match," he deadpanned.

Sakura groaned. "Thanks anyway," she muttered. She walked towards Sasuke's apartment building as soon as he departed from view.

She walked into Sasuke's bedroom as soon as she entered his apartment, digging through the messenger bag to find that Naruto had packed mostly black and solid colored apparel, a couple of dresses, some sleepwear, as well as the essentials. She also found two cups of instant ramen, much to her amusement.

Sakura cooked the instant noodles, eating them while looking through Sasuke's books. He didn't own many, and those that he did were either textbooks or technical stuff. The entire apartment was rather austere aside from his plaid beddings, barely consisting of the bare necessities. His icebox contained a jug of water, a grocery bag full of tomatoes, and an empty milk carton. She wasn't sure how he lived like this.

Sometime later, she couldn't find anymore corners to poke around and became bored. After washing up and putting on a pair of shorts and an oversized shirt, she climbed into bed and pulled the covers over her, staring at the ceiling.

She fell asleep shortly afterward, her face buried into Sasuke's pillow.

* * *

She awoke with a start, glancing out the bedroom windows. It was still dark outside, but there were peculiar noises coming from the apartment door. Grabbing a kunai from her knapsack, she dragged herself off the bed and slowly made her way to the door, her back to the wall. 

The door swung open, and a tall, lanky figure limped through the threshold.

Sakura turned on the light.

Sasuke stood in front of her, his lip split, his nose bloodied, his arms covered in deep scratches.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Sasuke wiped the blood from his nose, but only managed to smear it across his face.

He recalled a particular incident that night, on his way back to Sound:

"_Hyuuga Neji," Sasuke deadpanned as the Anbu lifted him by the front of his shirt._

"_Yes," the man replied, lifting the mask from his face. "Uchiha Sasuke, this is a message from Naruto."_

_Hyuuga Neji paused. He then punched him square in the nose._

Sasuke walked past her, grumbling something about needing more training. "I don't want to talk about it."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: The wait was longer than expected. My apologies. But hey, the chapter's longer than I'd planned it to be, too! Enjoy, and once again, reviews and crit are always welcome!

* * *

A masked nin leapt down from a lower bough, his body tensed and his head cocked. He'd been hearing a faint rustling disturbing the forest floor since he and his team had set up camp, and from the sounds of it, it was increasing in speed and proximity. He lifted the mask to reveal his pallid white eyes, the skin around them crinkled, his veins bulging. 

Hyuuga Neji smirked as his eyes revealed the oncoming rustling: Uchiha Sasuke.

He remembered the words of a certain loudmouthed ninja he'd run into the afternoon before he'd left for his mission, his hopes high as the target of his Byakugan grew steadily closer.

"_If you happen to run into that stupid bastard, tell him Naruto says hello."_

Neji's smirk widened. He'd give Uchiha Sasuke a proper greeting for him.

He knew that it was somewhat childish, and considering the Uchiha's prominent skill, setting a trap would probably be for naught. But in the long run, perhaps it was well worth a try.

Seeing as the raven haired man was still a safe distance away, Neji set to work. He gathered chakra into his fingertips in the form of sharp blades, easily digging about six feet deep holes into the soil a couple of meters away from one another. He meticulously gathered fallen branches and leaves, throwing the debris on the holes to properly hide them. Neji also embedded a couple of kunai around their circumferences for good measure, at the very top of the opening with their sharp ends facing outward.

When Sasuke was just close enough for his familiar chakra signature to be physically identified, the Hyuuga masked his, darting up into a tree in order to get a better view. Neji slid his mask into place, gripping the branch above him so that he could easily push off and give him a warm welcome.

The man in question ran right under him, and to Neji's utter surprise – and to his delight – he stepped onto a frail branch covering one of the traps and fell right through with a grunt.

Chuckling under his breath, Neji dropped down from his perch and approached the caved-in trap, reaching in and grasping the Uchiha heir by the front of his shirt, pulling him upwards.

"Long time no see," he greeted him none too warmly.

Sasuke glared at the masked nin, recognizing his voice instantly. "Hyuuga Neji," he deadpanned, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes," Neji confirmed, lifting his mask with his free hand. "Uchiha Sasuke, this is a message from Naruto."

Sasuke's eyes widened, his entire body rigid.

Neji paused, barely containing the grin that tugged at his lips. Cocking his fist back, he punched the Uchiha square in the nose and dropped him, letting him fall back through the hole in the ground.

He backed away leisurely, darting for the trees. Now that he had had his fun, he could initiate his original plans. His team was waiting on dinner.

--

Sakura heaved a sigh as she took in Sasuke's condition. Although she'd without hesitation give brownie points to whoever had managed to put him in it, her inner medic couldn't help but radiate some compassion.

"Alright, you idiot, lie down on the bed."

Sasuke eyed her critically before heaving his own sigh. He did as he was told, divesting of all his clothes except his boxers.

The medic walked into his bathroom to collect a few facecloths and a basin full of warm water. She returned to the bedroom, kneeling beside him. He watched her as she quietly cleaned his wounds and checked for poison, gathering chakra to both hands in order to heal him. The pink-haired medic was only grateful that his wounds weren't too bad, because she'd depleted her chakra considerably the day before and hadn't gotten enough rest to properly restore it.

She leaned back against the headboard when she finished, gazing at him wearily. "Do you have extra sheets?"

He sat up, inspecting her handiwork. "Bottom shelf," he replied before carefully standing up, walking stiffly towards the bathroom.

Sakura sighed, feeling her eyelids drooping. She quickly changed the sheets, leaving the dirty ones crumpled at the foot of the bed. She climbed into bed afterwards, curling up and closing her eyes.

By the time the shower had stopped and Sasuke'd walked back into the room, the other side of the bed sinking slightly as he laid down beside her, she was fast asleep.

--

Tsunade lifted her eyes from the paperwork in front of her, sensing someone's presence at the door before they could knock to announce themselves. "Come in," she sighed. Even though she'd stared at the documents with as much contempt as she could muster, it still wouldn't do themselves or burst into flames. She was hoping that it would've been the latter.

The door opened to reveal Hatake Kakashi. "Good morning, Hokage-sama," he greeted with a wave of his fingers. "Reporting the Anbu team's arrival, as per request. They are unscathed, however…"

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "However?"

Kakashi hesitated, his one-eyed gaze directed elsewhere. "They might not be your first visitors this morning," he explained, albeit vaguely. Before she could interject, he went on, "Orochimaru was found on the outskirts of Konoha; he is currently being escorted by our strongest ninja. He is being directed to you now and he will not be permitted to make any pit stops."

Tsunade shot him a wary look. "Kakashi, I want you to return to them immediately. See to it that that is done, with _no slip-ups_."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he murmured with a nod, teleporting from the room.

Tsunade clasped her hands together tightly, gritting her teeth. What could that pasty faced bastard want now? She eyed her paperwork before pushing it aside. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on them fully until Orochimaru personally explained why the hell he was in Konoha, and what his intentions were.

It took only a few more moments before the door swung open, and by then she was already on edge. The pale sannin strode casually into the room, grinning his snakelike grin as he approached her workplace. Tsunade glared at him. With her gaze still locked on the sannin, she shooed the Anbu away.

"What are you doing here, Orochimaru?" she demanded.

"Isn't it obvious?" he chuckled. "Visiting an old friend."

She snorted, keeping her eyes on his. "I'm afraid Jiraiya is unavailable at the moment," she replied snidely. She leaned back into her chair, gripping the edge of her desk so hard that it threatened to snap off. "Tell me the real reason why you're here."

He cocked his head, gracefully dropping into the chair in front of her. "Oh, but it is."

Tsunade stood. "I have a dead on diagnosis for you, Orochimaru, and I'm afraid it's denial. We were never friends, and we never will be. I've heard of your schemes of making nice with the other villages, but I can assure you that I will not be as naïve as they. Where is Sakura?"

Orochimaru grinned. "She has been very helpful. So much, in fact, that we might require her aid a bit longer." He patted her desk. "Now, would you sit down? You're making me uncomfortable."

The blonde woman gave him a withering look, remaining where she stood. "I will not be able to extend the appeal without consulting with the council members, and without sufficient information. I demand that she be sent back immediately until we have come to an agreement."

"The council members?" he inquired curiously. "She is not on an assassination mission, Tsunade, she's merely assisting our medics."

"At this point, I don't care what kind of mission it is. I don't trust you, nor will I ever. This may be a time of peace, but it is peace that draws a curtain of ignorance over the eyes of many." The Hokage clenched her fists.

He sighed dramatically. "As you wish," he said with a pleasant smile.

Tsunade shuddered, because a smile on a snake's countenance was anything but pleasant. "If you wish, you may remain in Konoha until the meeting is adjourned. But you will be under constant surveillance, and I will personally send you home if need be. If the council agrees, Sakura will remain in Sound. And if not, I expect her in Konoha by tomorrow evening or I'll have your head."

He gave her another one of his pleasant grins. "Understood, Tsunade-sama. But I only hope that you realize how generously I will reward your medic once she is through with her duties in Sound," he murmured, producing a scroll from his sleeve.

She took it from him and unrolled it, her eyes scanning the scroll until she came to a rather large number. She looked at him, snapping it shut. "No matter how generous you may seem in paying her this, you will not be able to give her what she truly desires," she told him softly.

He tilted his head. "And what is that?" he asked rhetorically, chuckling.

The sannin already knew.

--

Naruto glanced up at the Hokage's headquarters, concern etched into his features. By now, almost everyone knew of Orochimaru's presence in Konoha. However, it didn't worry him as much as Sakura's safety.

He wheeled around only to come face to face with an unmasked Hyuuga Neji. He greeted him with a grin. "Not a scratch on you! All is well, I hope?"

Neji smirked a little. "All is well."

Naruto's grin dissolved slightly. "And did you happen to run into Sasuke?"

The Hyuuga's smirk widened considerably. "Yes," he replied, glancing up towards the Hokage Tower. "I gave him a warm hello for you."

Naruto laughed, completely oblivious to Neji's smug grin – they were similar to all his other grins, after all. He slapped him on the back before walking in the direction of Ichiraku. "Thanks, Neji!"

--

Sakura awakened, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She squinted across from her, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest when she found that Sasuke was beside her – wide awake, in fact – and staring straight into her face. "Sasuke…" she whispered softly, confusion etched into her features.

He merely continued to gaze at her, his eyes narrowed.

"Your wounds, are they–"

He sat up with a start. "Fight me."

Her eyes widened. "Wh–What?"

"You've grown stronger," he told her, his eyes searching hers. "Fight me. I want to see for myself."

She watched him with her upper body propped up on her elbows as he got up from the bed. His eyes were still fixed on her. "I wouldn't recommend strenuous activity, Sasuke. Your wounds are still in the process of…"

"Meet me on the rooftop," he told her before making his way down the hall.

Sakura listened as his apartment door opened and closed. She closed her eyes and let out an exasperated moan, rubbing her hands over her face.

She really hated rooftops.

Sakura got out of bed with some difficulty, worrying her bottom lip. She numbly walked down the hall and out the apartment door, her senses barely registering the cold tile floor. Her heart was pounding as she began her trek up the five flights of stairs to the rooftop, flinching when she saw him in the doorway with his arms crossed.

He pushed the door open and strode out, expecting her to follow.

Sakura couldn't help but tremble. She followed after him, albeit slowly, glancing up at the sky. The horizon was a majestic blue, but the firmament above it was still cloaked in night, waiting for the sun's rays to touch them. Sakura shivered. The air was still damp with condensation.

She set her sights on Sasuke, gasping when his eyes became crimson red. "Sasuke, please…"

He gestured for her to come. "Attack me," he told her. "Don't hold back."

Sakura bit her lower lip, taking in her surroundings. Metal and concrete, both of which she could easily destroy with a touch of a finger. "I don't think…"

The pink-haired kunoichi gasped as Sasuke materialized in front of her, his fist coming in contact with her cheek. Sakura flew back a couple of feet and onto the ground, spitting out blood. She was certain that he'd loosened a couple of her teeth. The kunoichi could only watch as he attacked her again, this time landing a punch to her gut. She doubled over on the ground, gasping for breath and clutching her stomach.

"Defend yourself!" he bellowed.

The next attack didn't come. He stood in front of her, his eyes returning to their normal color. She gazed up at him, gingerly touching her hand to her cheek to heal the fractured cheekbone and her bloodied gums.

Sasuke knelt down beside her and touched her newly healed cheek, his hand lingering there before he took her by the wrist, dragging her towards the exit and down several flights of stairs, and out of the apartment building. They must've been a sight for sore eyes, he still in his boxers, she wearing a long shirt that was doing an excellent job concealing the small shorts that she wore underneath.

They walked past street vendors and buildings, kicking up the dirt with their bare feet. Sakura was silent as they entered the vicinity of a park, the dirt replaced with soft grass that tickled her feet and ankles. He took her to a clearing that overlooked the outskirts of Sound. The grass was long and untamed, some of the green blades reaching the height of Sakura's shoulders.

He released her wrist and walked a couple of feet forward, and when he turned around to face her, his eyes were red again. "Will you fight me now, Sakura?" he deadpanned.

Sakura gathered a considerable amount of chakra to her hand before kneeling onto the ground, punching the hard soil. The ground rumbled underneath her before it started to fissure, the breach widening as it expanded lengthwise towards the waiting Uchiha.

His eyes widened when an explosion of soil and rock blew up in his face. He ran at her, observing as she gathered chakra to her hands. He threw a punch to her face, which she barely deflected. The pink-haired kunoichi grasped his right shoulder, undoing the muscles there with her chakra. He gritted his teeth, disappearing and then materializing behind her, his knee slamming into the small of her back.

Sakura gasped as the force of his blow dropped her onto her knees. She knew that he was trying to push her to the edge – harming her enough that she'd eventually need to fight back.

His foot dug into her back, forcing her to stay on the ground. "This isn't your full strength," he said brusquely.

She groaned under his weight. "Sound can't afford my full strength," she grunted.

Apparently mollified by this, he released her. He grabbed her and pulled her to her feet, not bothering to support her as she teetered and swayed.

Angered and confused, Sakura watched his retreating back. She gritted her teeth as she forced even more chakra into her fist, pummeling the earth. A geyser of soil and sediment shot out underneath the Uchiha, making him fly backward, his pale body dropping amidst the tall grass. She watched him regain his footing with a racing heart, rendered frozen as he turned around to face her.

Sasuke was not happy.

He materialized in front of her, faster than she's ever seen him. He'd appeared so quickly that all the dirt and particles on his skin seemed to try to cling along for the ride, only to fall in a dusty mist a few feet behind him. Sasuke wrapped his fingers around the front of her neck, his red eyes burning into her mind. Her face became red as her lungs burned for air, and for a few futile seconds, she struggled against him, kicking at his shins and punching his chest.

Black dots clouded Sakura's vision, and the moment he realized what he was doing, Sasuke released his hold on her, letting her thin form fall and crumple into a heap on the cold ground.

She watched him through slotted eyes, her hands over her bruising throat as she coughed and gasped for air. He looked at her and sighed, kneeling before her. She tensed as he wrapped an arm around her waist in a surprisingly gentle manner, her hands coming to grip at his shoulders as he lifted her.

Sakura faded in and out of consciousness as he carried her across the village, finally snapping awake when he entered his apartment building and opened his door. Sasuke walked into the bathroom, his grip on her tightening as he leaned forward into the bathtub to turn on the water.

The kunoichi watched him curiously as he climbed into the tub with her, lowering her to the cold tile floor. Sakura flinched as he knelt down in front of her, a halfhearted cry tearing from her lips as he tugged her soiled shirt over her head. Sakura shivered under the spray of the water, wrapping her arms around her front.

His face was devoid of all emotion as he tugged her shorts down, leaving her naked aside from her underwear. Sakura's eyes followed him as he stepped out of the tub, closing the bathroom door behind him.

Sakura huddled under the spray, bereft. She was too tired to cry.

--

When she'd finally gathered enough strength to drag herself out of the shower, she walked into the Uchiha's bedroom, her legs wobbly. Sakura healed herself quickly before putting on a change of clothes. She tensed when his apartment door opened to reveal a solemn Sasuke, his arms filled with paper grocery bags.

"Do you want lunch? I did the groceries."

Sakura just looked at him. She supposed that that was the closest thing to an apology she'd ever get from the Uchiha.

They walked into the kitchen in silence, Sasuke bringing out his cooking ware while Sakura emptied out the grocery bags. She chopped vegetables while he washed and cleaned slivers of pork tenderloin. He immersed the meat into an egg wash before breading them and frying them in a wok. The pink-haired woman prepared curry on the stovetop beside his, mixing the contents of a packet with broth and water and adding in the cut vegetables.

"Where's your rice?" she whispered hoarsely.

Sasuke was washing his hands at the faucet. He turned to face her as he wiped his fingers on a white cloth that dangled from the faucet head. "I'll make it," he replied quietly. He closed the gap between them, his hand lightly touching her neck. "Your throat…"

"I healed it," she said abruptly, averting her eyes.

They waited on the rice in silence, sipping red wine while they set the counter with mismatched plates and worn chopsticks.

They'd eaten their fill and finished more than half of the bottle of wine when Sasuke had cupped her cheeks into his hands and kissed her. Sakura's eyes widened in shock. He coaxed her with soft, slow tap kisses, one arm wrapping around her waist while the other hand remained on her face, the calloused pad of his thumb trailing down her cheek.

Sakura clumsily wrapped both arms around his neck, reciprocating. Their lips met slowly and mindlessly, the wine making their skin warm and their eyes glazed. The kunoichi gasped against his mouth as he ran his hands through her hair, his blunt fingernails scraping gently against her scalp and sending shivers down her spine. Her hands found themselves underneath the front of his shirt, tracing the twitching muscles on his abdomen with her warm fingers.

It was only until his hand found itself between her thighs did her thoughts begin to stir.

"Sasuke, no…" Sakura whimpered. His lips were making a warm trail down the side of her neck, and she couldn't help but tilt her head to allow him further access.

Her inebriated mind was whirling. She pushed him away, her eyes glazed and her mouth swollen and pink. He looked at her with such intensity that she had to avert her gaze for a moment.

"Sasuke, this… This isn't what I signed up for."

And then she pushed off of the counter and darted for the door.


End file.
